News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-09-08
On VIEWPOINTS STRAND.
4 TALE TOLD BY MOONLIGHT
IN THE CUPOLA,
The Struggle of Lovers and the
Result.

found out the cupola, and enjoyed
climbing up-there was no elevator
then-to look off into the moonlight
while [ smoked,
Gone night had an adventure which
will never forget. Neither would you
if you had taken part in it. Do you see
that ladder" he exclaimed, pointing
toward an unpainted stair to trap dool
| in the roof used to reach the halyards to
the flagstaff on the top of the cupola.
"Well, something posessed me to climb
! up there and look off the top of the
lantern. The night WAS close and sui
| try and of all these windows were open,
with nothing to prevent anyone from
walking directly out unless they had a
| care. Observe what descent there is !!
| The long steep roof has nothing ON it to
prevent one from sliding with terrible
speed to the edge and then the fall to
the earth would be at least eighty feet
81 went up to the trap door and found
it fastened Returning slowly down the
ladder and pausing when down a little
way to take a few whiffs of my cigar |
saw something in white coming up the
flight of stairs leading to the cupola
from the attic story below. The time
was past midnight, and the moon was
obscured by clouds, so that everything
was indistinct, but I was enabled to de
termine that the white object was a
woman, and that | had often seen her
face about the house during my stay.
! She moved noiselessly along and ap-
| preached one of the open windows and
! stood leaning her head against the frame
! on the side.
''I felt myself in an awkward position.
! I did not like to make q noise for fear
that [ would startle the young lady, and
! the thought flashed across my mind that
she would be terribly frightened and
perhaps fall out of the window. SO L
concluded to keep quiet until she moved
away from the dangerous spot before
speaking to apprise her of my presence,
and going down, leaving her in posses
sion of the cupola She was in full
evening dress of white muslin or some
thing of that kind, and there were some
disarranged flowers in her light hair.
| She was extremely delicate, of the pale
blonde type, with little red spot on
either check, but she had been very
gay during her stay at the hotel, and
the men about the house called her the
prettiest girl of the season. There were
on her. One was from the South some
where, and the yarn in circulation was
that he was engaged to her. The other
admirer was a good looking fellow from
New York, I believe.
"The girl remained by the window
but few minutes when [ heard foot
steps on the stairs, and the young man
who was not regarded as the accepted
lover emerged through the opening. He
was in evening dress and held pair of
white. kidegloyes in one hand. He was
about to speak, when the girl left the
window and passed acyo2s -ttlae- e!lanla-
toward the opposite side. Something
in the method Of her walking raised
question in my mind as | looked down
on her from my position on the ladder.
It was solved by the time she reached a
window She put out one of her little
white hands and rested it ON the window
sash. At the same time the young man
exclaimed, Miss, Clara. What are
you DOING?
''She made no answer, and he sprang
toward her.
" CLARA, he cried in an anxious man
ner. what is it2 Why did you come up
here so late? Let me assist you down,
please.
''She turned toward him, and q sudden
change came over her face. 1t was one
of confusion and surprise. L don't know
how you would describe it.
Where am r. she cried, and then
she gazed about the cupola in a strange
sort of way. Before the other person
could speak she rushed into his arms,
which were quickly outstretched to
catch her. The pretty little blonde was
a somnambulist.
"'I threw myself on the bed and must
have fallen asleep, she said excitedly.
''Ihe gentleman-for he behaved like
an honorable fellow through it alien
deavored to soothe her and persuaded
her to go down to the lower regions, but
she grew hysterical and he could do
nothing with her,
''I saw you go up the stairs as was
going to my rOOm, he said. Il could
not understand why you went up toward
the cupola, and followed YOU Thank
God [ did. Come below, Clara. Do
come.
''She answered him by a nervous sort
of laugh. In another instant there was
the sound of some one rushing up the
ladder, and the other admirer, his face
furious with passion, sprang into the
cupola. He shouted out
Miss -, all is over between you
and me. Any girl who will meet man
in this place at this time of night can't
be my wife. And for you, sir, you must
settle with me for your conduct Then
he jumped on the other fellow like n
tiger. ! could tell by his utterance that
he was full of champagne and that he
was crazed with jealousy.
"Ihe fury of that onset nearly threw
the attacked party to the floor, but he
struggled in self defence, and the two
were locked in a moment in a sort of
catch-as-catch- embrace. The girl
was dazed at first, and then gave little
cry and sank on the floor in dead faint |
The young men, who We're too much
engaged to notice me, charged and
foundered about the cupola like two
dogs in a fight. 1t was rough and
tumble, hit and gOuge on the part of the
assailant, and resist us best he might on
the part of the other The two got on
their feet, when a sudden idea seemed
to seize the furious young man, who was
frantic with excitement. Getting a
fresh hold he dragged his rival toward
the open window, which looks down upon
the steep roof of the IL there.
"Out you go!' he said, as he painted
from the violence of his eXertion.
'Neither one of the pair was what you
would call powerful. The fellow who
was assailed, especially, was like many
other city young men of the time; he
was better fitted for waltz than such
contest. The other was clearly stronger,
and his rage made him Overwhelmingly
so. Quicker than / am telling you of
what they did he had jerked the weaker
one to the window.
"Out you go!' he again exclaimed.
The other one, who was pretty well
winded, grasped the side of the window
casing there and held on, struggling
hard to prevent his grasp being torn
away. But it was useless, and In
another moment he would have gone
out, to stop only when he reached the
ground of the back yard, away down
there.
81 had watched the whole affair with
until the time had come when L could
do so no longer. ] sat on that step up
yonder. 1t is about eight or nine feet
above the floor. l gave q leap us L saw
the hold of the young fellow give way.
/ landed with crash on the boards at
the foot of the ladder and seized the
lunatic around the waist. The next
thing he knew was that he was on the
floor on the opposite side of the cupola.